Career Planning

You can do almost anything with a psychology major. Our program teaches many transferrable skills that are important to several careers. You will learn about people and animals. Have a strong foundation in understanding how individuals are motivated and think. In addition, you will know about the biological basis for behavior. Students in our major are required to learn about research methods and statistics. Upon graduating, students have technical writing experience, the ability to analyze information critically, and computer skills working with statistical databases. 

Employers don't hire you for your major; they hire you for your skills and experiences. As a psychology major, you will be able to:

  • Understand major concepts in human behavior
  • Apply perspectives to various situations
  • Explain behavior on several levels of analysis
  • Utilize the scientific research methods
  • Design and conduct studies
  • Draw on and evaluate research evidence
  • Utilize technology for data collection/analysis
  • Evaluate information as a critical thinker
  • Reflect on information and apply it to your life
  • Be aware of multiculturalism and diversity
  • Use scientific writing to convey a concept
  • Communicate in a variety of settings including writing and oral presentation

The Psychology major offers a broad social sciences and liberal arts education, and many different careers are available for a Psychology graduate. These careers vary from human resources, sales, marketing, and management to social services, education, and counseling. If you're interested in what our recent graduates have done after graduating, look at Next Destination. In addition, below are just some additional careers:

  • Adoption Specialist
  • Immigration Officer
  • Genetic Counselor
  • Project Manager
  • Financial Adviser
  • Lobbyist
  • Psychological Researcher
  • Clinical Psychologist
  • Immigration Officer
  • Facilities Manager
  • Sales Manager
  • Elementary School Teacher
  • Psychiatric Nurse
  • Human Resources/Employment
  • Customer Service Representative
  • Public Relations
  • Child Protective Services
  • Industrial or Organizational Psychologist
  • Case Management
  • Market Researcher
  • Public Affairs Coordinator
  • Recreation Specialist
  • Marketing Manager
  • Urban Planner/Researcher
  • Labor Relations Manager
  • Copy Editor
  • Education Psychologist
  • Law Enforcement
  • Crisis Intervention Counselor
  • Marriage Family Therapist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Probation Officer
  • Academic Adviser
  • Press Liaison
  • Journalist
  • Real Estate
  • Social Worker
  • Substance Abuse Counselor
  • Rehabilitation Therapist
  • Community Relations
  • Event Planning
  • Retail Management
  • Medical Researcher
  • Sales Representative
  • Mental Health Counselor
  • Advertising
  • School Counselor
  • Service Animal Trainer
  • Employment Agency Counselor
  • Art/Music/Movement Therapist
  • Account Executive
  • Corrections Officer
  • Victim Support Services
  • Police Detective
  • Speech Therapist
  • Public Health Administrator
  • Media Planner
  • Fund Raising/Development
  • Pastor/Religious Counselor
  • Loan Officer/Bank Management
  • Lawyer

Career Resources: 

  • Career and Internship Center Assists UW Seattle students in developing a job or internship search plan, managing progress toward career goals, and learning the skills to successfully find a job and/or make a career transition. They offer one-on-one career coaching, an array of workshops, various career fairs, and Handshake -an active database of open positions. 
  • O*Net OnLine Contains detailed descriptions for over 900 occupations. Type in psychologist in the Occupation Keyword Search and learn about the wide variety of psychology related occupations.
  • WOIS Students can research information about Washington State careers, schools, and training programs as well as other career planning resources. Available at any UW campus computer or logging into your UW account.
  • APA Career Resources for job seekers as well as employers.
  • UW Counseling Center Offer holistic career counseling utilizing personal goal counseling and career assessments/interest inventories to help you identify a career path.The counselors are available for both individual therapy sessions and career exploration workshops.
  • Seattle Institute for Biomedical and Clincial Research List of current research and lab employment opporutnites 

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